Elizabeth Pyke

Elizabeth was born on October 11, 1968 to parents Jim and Terry Pyke of Akron. The eldest of three children, Elizabeth was thrilled to have been old enough to watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. She loved her siblings and would gently and matter-of-factly swat the mosquitoes off her baby sister when the two played in the sandbox.

Elizabeth attended Our Lady of the Elms and Fairlawn elementary schools and graduated from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s high school. She had a lifelong passion for history and military history, especially the American Civil War era. She will be remembered with love, gratitude for her gentle nature and kindness, and respect for her amazing memory for dates and civil war facts. The Elizabeth A. Pyke Prize in history was established at Rice University in her honor.

Elizabeth is survived by her mother and two younger siblings, Suzy and Jim. A joint funeral mass for Elizabeth and her father, Jim, will be held on June 28 at 11 a.m. at St. Hilary’s Parish in Fairlawn, Ohio, followed by burial at Rose Hill.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Elizabeth A. Pyke Prize in history at Rice University.